América condemn Chile for Diego Valdés injury

América have suffered a huge loss just as the team enters the decisive part of the Apertura 2023 regular phase. They will confront the next five games without Diego Valdés, who was injured while on duty with Chile and faces a month on the sidelines. The setback has infuriated the Azulcrema board.

The Chilean suffered a tear to his left calf muscle and as a result will be out at least until the playoffs start. Club president Santiago Baños had harsh words for the Chilean Football Federation for not taking more care of his player who had been recovering from muscle problems prior to reporting for international duty.

Valdés played in both of Chile’s dates during this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He played almost the full 90 minutes of the 2-0 win over Peru, being replaced by Marcelino Núñez in the final minute of normal time. He also started the following game against Venezuela but limped off after just 22 minutes after injuring his left calf muscle.

“I feel disrespected by what Chile did. They were notified, they were sent a detailed medical report of what Diego had been doing. He was still recovering from the previous FIFA window. We managed his rehabilitation and made sure he recovered; he left to join up with his national team and played 90 minutes. We had specifically asked them to analyze the workload he had undergone and they put him on for 89 minutes at full capacity, then started him in the second game,” Baños told TUDN.

Finally, Baños said that the teams rarely take into account the clubs who are the ones who pay the bills. “It’s unfortunate that they don’t also think about the clubs. We are the ones who pay the players and now we will be without Diego until mid-November,” he said.

Until now, Valdés has missed just two games in the Apertura 2023 (against Pumas and Pachuca). He is the team’s top scorer with six goals.